Macbeth Clothing Quotes

Why do you dress me
In borrowed robes?

– William Shakespeare

Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 3. When Ross hails Macbeth Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth’s reaction comes in the form of a clothing metaphor. He tries to conceal his ambition to be king by making light of the news, and jokes about being dressed in borrowed robes. He doesn’t understand how he can have that position while the Thane of Cawdor still lives. He learns from Angus that the former Thane has been stripped of his title and sentenced to death for treason.

He hath honour’d me of late; and I have bought
Golden opinions from all sorts of people,
Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,
Not cast aside so soon.

– William Shakespeare

Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 7. Clothing symbolism and imagery play an important role throughout the play. Macbeth uses a clothing metaphor to say that he should enjoy the new honor of Thane of Cawdor bestowed on him by Duncan and the praise heaped on him by people. This shows that he is changing his mind about killing Duncan.

Was the hope drunk,
Wherein you dress’d yourself? hath it slept since,
And wakes it now, to look so green and pale
At what it did so freely? From this time
Such I account thy love.

– William Shakespeare

Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 7. Lady Macbeth counterattacks after her husband refuses to carry out the plan to kill the King. Using a clothing metaphor and personification, she asks if his earlier hope was drunk when he dressed himself in it. Lady Macbeth proves to be even more ambitious than Macbeth for him to be king. She employs emotional blackmail when she equates the level of her love for him to his commitment to killing Duncan.

Great Dunsinane he strongly fortifies:
Some say he’s mad; others that lesser hate him
Do call it valiant fury: but, for certain,
He cannot buckle his distemper’d cause
Within the belt of rule.

– William Shakespeare

Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 2. The Scottish nobles who are marching against Macbeth discuss his mental state. Some people say Macbeth is mad, while others call it noble fury, Caithness says. Using metaphorical comparisons of sickness and clothing, Caithness claims that Macbeth is so out of control that he cannot keep a curb on his sick behavior.
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